


Atlas of the Soul

by seathehorizon



Category: K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, Bartender Kim Seokjin | Jin, Bickering, But not between Yoonjin, Cheating, Jin works at the resort, M/M, Mention of past Yoongi/OMC, Namseok are Yoongi's best friends in Seoul, Other idols are really only in passing, Resort, Romantic Comedy, Sexual innuendos, Vminkook also work at the resort, Yoongi is on holiday, set in jeju, vague mention of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:47:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28893888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seathehorizon/pseuds/seathehorizon
Summary: Yoongi finds his boyfriend cheating on him while on holiday. Rather than go home, he decides to spend the next two weeks alone, determined to enjoy himself, though he does end up sharing his story with the bartender, Seokjin. After sort of hitting on him, he invites him along to take part in the couples' activities he had signed himself and his ex up for. To his surprise, Seokjin agrees.But what could possibly happen in two weeks, right?
Relationships: Kim Seokjin | Jin/Min Yoongi | Suga
Comments: 10
Kudos: 165
Collections: YoonJin Journey Fest





	Atlas of the Soul

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [YoonJinJourneyFest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/YoonJinJourneyFest) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Yoongi is on a vacation with his partner to celebrate an anniversary or something like it, when he catches his partner cheating on him with someone who works at the resort/another traveler/etc.
> 
> they of course break up, and he's drowning his sorrows at the bar where seokjin works (on the property and (probably because he's drunk) invites seokjin to go on all the couples' activities he'd signed up to do with his (now) ex and jin actually agrees

One hundred days. One hundred days of his life he had given to this bastard and clearly he had wasted every single one of them. One hundred days of being a loving, supportive boyfriend to someone who deserved none of his time.

Yoongi was hurt, he was angry, and he really needed a drink. No, he wasn't planning on drowning his sorrows and making terrible decisions, but he did need to wind down, and what better way to do so than with a few drinks, alone? It wasn't like he had many options: they had planned this trip together to celebrate their anniversary and Jeju was a long way from home, so he couldn't rally up his friends and vent to them.

He hadn’t even let them know yet, because, well, he wasn't up for having to explain multiple times and it didn't feel right to send the news of his break-up in the group chat. A group call might be possible, but that felt more exhausting than telling them in person, and if any of them were already in bed - it _was_ the middle of the night, after all - it would only be awkward to have to put it on hold.

So drinking in the bar it was.

He wondered how different things would have been had he not caught Hangbin with someone else. Their entire trip was meant to be romantic, a couples getaway, and being here alone felt odd. Even a little sad, even though, realistically, there was nothing wrong with it. He supposed he could go home, but everything had already been paid for and he had been looking forward to some time away from home. Besides, he already had the time off. Might as well use it.

(And this was admittedly better than spending two weeks with someone who might have snuck off to be with someone else whenever Yoongi was looking the other way. After all, one thing that had become clear from their entire fight was that this hadn't been the first time, which meant it would have undoubtedly happened again.)

Yoongi shuffled into Moon, the bar he had spotted the day before after checking in. It was cute, Yoongi thought, with the decor painted to look like the moon and the domed ceiling resembling Earth amidst a blanket of stars. The lights weren't too bright and the place wasn't too loud, despite being rather packed. If the drinks were decent, he could see himself coming back.

He walked past the booths and tables, something about occupying one of those by himself making his skin crawl. Normally, he wouldn't mind - he made a great companion to himself, thank you very much - but right now he didn't feel up for it. Instead, he gladly took a seat at the bar, his shoulders sagging once he had made himself comfortable.

There weren't many other people at the bar, not seated, at least; most were simply ordering drinks or waiting for them, yet Yoongi felt more anonymous here. A forgotten face in the crowd, could be easily overlooked or dismissed as waiting as well. Right now he simply didn't want too much attention - he wanted to drink.

There were two people behind the bar, one on the opposite side of Yoongi, who therefore couldn't properly see him, and one nearer to him who was mixing a drink.

Yoongi rolled up his sleeves, his eyes absentmindedly running over the person's form, because those shoulders were absolutely ridiculous. They seemed wide enough to support the ceiling and although Yoongi didn’t know their gender, he couldn’t help but think of Atlas, who held up the entire heaven. He shook his head to rid himself of the absurd fantasy of the bartender carrying around a giant sphere.

Right as he started to wonder if drinking was in fact the best choice, the bartender turned around to hand the finished drink to the person already leaning over the bar, and then grinned at Yoongi, throwing a wink his way.

"What can I get you?"

Well. They were certainly easy on the eyes, which was always a bonus, and flirty at that, which was- Yoongi didn’t quite know _what_ that was, but as long as he could be distracted from the disaster this trip had turned out to be, he didn't care.

"Whiskey," Yoongi blurted out. "Just whiskey. Whichever you recommend, as long as it's strong."

The bartender raised their eyebrows but nodded. "Coming right up!" He poured Yoongi a glass and placed it before him. "Here you are. I should warn you: I am allowed to cut you off if I feel it's needed."

Yoongi nodded, wondering if this was a warning they gave everyone or if it was for the people like him, alone and looking to get tabled (though Yoongi didn’t intend to get drunk, but he could see how it might come off that way). He took a swig from his drink and licked his lips after, pleasantly surprised. "This is good, thank you."

The bartender flashed him a smile and another wink. "Enjoy."

Yoongi inclined his head and watched the bartender tend to someone else for a moment. Laughter from a couple nearby made him glance over, just in time to catch them pressing in close and pecking each other on the lips. Sweet, yet he couldn’t help but feel bitter.

Had Hangbin not turned out to be a cheater, they would have spent tonight doing the same. If they had even left the room at all, of course, because Yoongi had fully intended to spend the days doing activities together and the evenings doing each other, a thought that now made him scowl. The realisation that those hands had touched others while he had been with Yoongi disgusted him, that those lips might have kissed another before he'd come back to Yoongi.

He downed the rest of his drink in one go, angry with himself, with Hangbin, with the entire situation. How had he been this oblivious?

The bartender from before looked over, eyes lingering on Yoongi’s empty glass. The bartender sighed but raised the bottle from before, shaking it in question. When Yoongi nodded, his glass was filled up again and he mumbled a thank you.

Perhaps just drinking wasn't the worst idea. He'd be cut off if he drank too much anyway and that, combined with his high tolerance, meant he'd probably be fine. And so he finished another drink, taking a big swig whenever he thought of Hangbin and the many regrets he had, occasionally catching snippets of the conversations around him.

"Atlas- Can I call you Atlas?" Yoongi asked, several drinks in.

The bartender looked at him, bemused, as he (Yoongi had heard the other bartender refer to him as 'hyung') slid another drink his way. "I suppose I've been called worse. You could call me Seokjin, though, or Jin if you prefer."

"Seokjin…" Yoongi tried the name out a few times, enjoying the way it rolled off his tongue. "I like it. Where does it come from?"

Seokjin’s lips twitched and he patted Yoongi's hand. "My parents gave it to me."

Yoongi paused. Of course, people did have real names, or nicknames, even. "Oh." He stared down into his glass and wondered if he should really drink any more. "Good. My name is Yoongi." He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember why he had started up a conversation to begin with.

"Bad night?" Seokjin asked, an understanding look in his eyes. A true bartender: skilled in making drinks and speaking to the customers.

"Hm…" Yoongi sighed and rubbed his hand down his face. "Bad everything. This was supposed to be an anniversary trip, but I found my bastard boyfriend feeling up someone else, so…" He shrugged. "Guess I'll be doing this trip alone."

Seokjin winced and leaned down on the bar across from him. "Shit, that sucks. I can see now why you've been drinking so much."

"Not that much," Yoongi protested.

"I should have cut you off ages ago," Seokjin responded dryly. "But you weren't disruptive, so I let you be."

Yoongi pressed his hands to his face, feeling the heat in his cheeks, and couldn't help but pout at the realisation that Seokjin was right. Whether he believed he was drunk - or tipsy - didn't matter: his cheeks would flush and give him away.

"But go on." Seokjin gazed at him curiously. "What were you going to say before I told you I'm not named after a Greek tragedy?"

"It's not exactly a tragedy," Yoongi corrected him. "Atlas is a figure of Greek _mythology_."

"He was forced to carry an entire planet, I'd say that's a tragedy."

"Actually, that's not quite true: he holds up the sky, the celestial spheres, if you will, not the Earth." Yoongi paused and tugged at his earlobe. "Ah, sorry. Sometimes I talk too much." Though admittedly mostly when he felt more comfortable, or when he had had just the right amount of alcohol. "I guess I understand why he wasn't that into me." He let out a hollow laugh.

Seokjin frowned and poured another drink.

"Oh, I've still got some," Yoongi told him, holding up his glass, just filled.

Seokjin raised his eyebrows. "Did I say it was for you? I'm joining you so we can chat."

"Oh." Yoongi blinked. "Fair enough."

"Now then." Once he had finished his drink, Seokjin took a big swig and slammed the glass down on the bar, then leaned forward to look Yoongi straight in the eye. "Your ex is an asshole. If you want to share random mythological tidbits, then do it. Besides, if I'm Atlas, I might as well know more about him. I'm only really used to Adonis."

Yoongi snorted and gazed down at his drink. "I'm sure you are," he muttered. Realistically, he knew he could have been anyone and Hangbin would have still cheated on him. If he were bothered by Yoongi personally, he could have - and should have - broken up with him. Still, it was nice to hear it from someone else. Yoongi briefly glanced up at Seokjin. "Thanks."

"We've all had shitty relationships." Seokjin rolled his eyes dramatically. "I can't even tell you how many men I've dated who are now on my list of regrets. But it doesn't mean we need to blame ourselves." He paused and tilted his head. "Well. It can be a mutual thing, sometimes you just don't click or you bring out the worst in each other, or maybe they think we're the bad guy sometimes. Not in your case, by the way, this was pretty clearly on him."

"I know. I think it's just…" Yoongi hummed and pursed his lips. "I trusted him. And I cared about him." He shrugged. "I guess I trusted him to care about me in return."

Rather than the flurry of reassurances his friends would have given him about how _they_ cared, Seokjin merely nodded in understanding. He ran his finger along the rim of his glass. "I'm going to ask you something very personal and you don't need to answer. It also doesn't mean you can't be hurt and upset. But… Did you love him?"

Ah. That was an excellent question and one Yoongi had asked himself frequently. The answer was that he didn't know. "I don't think I let myself love very easily," he replied contemplatively. "I liked him a lot, but I don't think I loved him quite yet." Love was a very strong emotion and Yoongi was careful with it. He loved his friends, fiercely, even, and the same went for his family. He also had an ex he had loved very much and she was even now a dear friend to him. But Hangbin?

This trip had been meant to figure it out. Two weeks with just the two of them, no distractions, because so far the longest they had spent together consecutively had been a weekend - they worked on opposite sides of the city and it didn't make sense to stay at the other's home for too long. It hadn’t been enough to determine what he felt and how well he even knew Hangbin; clearly, he hadn’t known him at all.

"Like I said, that doesn’t mean you can’t be upset," Seokjin told him. "Relationships are also about respect and when there's cheating…"

"There's no respect."

Seokjin nodded at him. Then he took a deep breath and took another sip from his drink. "At least you’re in a great place to be distracted. Who knows, you might find your very own Zeus here."

"Zeus was a rapist, I don’t think he's the best choice," Yoongi deadpanned. "No, you know who I like? Dionysus - the God of wine. He also basically invented the dildo, so he'd know how to have a good time." Was he seriously talking about sex toys with a complete stranger? He looked down at his glass and shoved it away from him.

"He-" Seokjin blinked at him. "Okay, I feel like I've learned far too much about you and not nearly enough about Dionysus." He leaned on the bar and rested his head on his hands. "Do tell me more."

Yoongi snorted, his lips twitching. "Join me for the activities I signed up for on this trip and I will."

Seokjin nodded slowly. Yoongi was about to take back his ridiculous request (though it would be nice to have some company) when he replied. "Couple activities in return for sexual mythology - that sounds fair. Here, give me your phone so I can put in my number and we can plan."

Yoongi gaped at him for a moment, then he took his phone from his pocket and slid it across the bar, wondering if perhaps this was all a wild dream or if Seokjin himself was a hallucination. "You've got yourself a deal."

\----------

Yoongi stood outside the building where he was meant to be taking dance lessons soon. Dance lessons! What on earth had he been thinking when he signed up for them? It had seemed romantic at the time and one of those typical couple activities they absolutely needed to try, but now he was greatly regretting it. To start with, dancing wasn't his forte, and he didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of the handsome bartender from last night.

To be honest, he hadn’t expected anything when Seokjin had said he’d join. A joke, or a throwaway comment to a sad and lonely customer who needed a pick-me-up. His empty room has been cold and unwelcoming, the bed too big for one person and the beautiful view a mockery. His friends were still unaware and at this point it had been too late to contact them (well, their sleeping hours were all over the place, but still, he'd rather not bother them at an unreasonable hour). Although he had sobered up a bit, it had seemed like a brilliant idea to text Seokjin, just to say hello.

To his surprise, he had received a swift reply and after chatting for a bit (they had talked until Yoongi fell asleep, tipsy and emotionally drained), Seokjin had asked him about the planned activities for the trip.

At least, Yoongi mused, there was only one activity today. If Seokjin and he didn't get along after all, it wasn't much of an issue, and if they did, well… Then he had found a friend on this trip and they could potentially go for dinner after. If there was time, of course: although Seokjin got a bit of time off on the resort, he would be working most nights.

"Hello, Yoongi."

Yoongi turned on his heel. A calm, smiling Seokjin was behind him, his hands behind his back as he gazed at the building. He looked even more handsome in daylight, and a lot softer, with fitted black pants, comfortable pink shirt and hair combed back from his forehead.

"One of my friends teaches these classes," he said as a couple squeezed past them to get inside. "They used to be held outdoors, but people would complain when the weather didn't cooperate. Either rain ruined it, or it was too hot, or the sun was too bright and they couldn't see the instructor." Seokjin chuckled. "Then they complained that it was boring to be inside, so they had to install a floor-to-ceiling window in one of the walls."

Yoongi raised his eyebrows and followed Seokjin through the door. Apart from the entitlement, he couldn’t stop picturing a group of people pressed up against that giant window to view everyone inside. "Should I be worried about spectators?"

"Hm?" Seokjin blinked over at him, then laughed. "Not unless they're merpeople. The window faces the sea."

Yoongi nodded in understanding and relief as Seokjin explained the layout to him. He wasn't nervous per se, because he didn't care enough about what strangers thought of him, but at the same time, the thought of being in the spotlight was a terrifying one. Not that if people were watching they'd necessarily be staring at him, because why would they? But it could be difficult to shake off that worry sometimes, especially when the closest thing to a friend you had around you was still a stranger.

They entered a large, bright room, with art on the walls and plants on the floor, and indeed with a large window across from them. The view was magnificent and Yoongi was sure he must look silly staring at it this intently, but, well… he was used to city life. And he hadn’t had a proper chance to explore the island yet either, so this was his first true glimpse, up close, of the sea. To be honest, even merpeople didn't stand a chance unless they could fly, since the building was near the edge of a cliff. He mentioned as much to Seokjin.

"Merpeople are magical creatures who live underwater," was his explanation. "Why wouldn’t they be able to fly as well?"

"They don't have wings," Yoongi pointed out.

Seokjin shrugged. "Flying fish exist."

"Yes, but they're not magical."

"You weren't talking about magic, you were talking about wings."

Before Yoongi could counter that statement, he was interrupted by a sweet voice.

"Jin hyung! I didn't expect to see you here."

Yoongi turned to face the newcomer, a stunningly attractive person of roughly his own height with one of the prettiest eye smiles he had ever seen. One of the most lethal ones, too, he realised, once it was turned on him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. My name is Park Jimin and I teach this class. And you are?"

Suddenly the requests for a better view of the instructor made perfect sense. Yoongi shook himself and smiled awkwardly, not wanting to appear rude. "Min Yoongi," he mumbled, somewhat uncomfortable under all this attention.

"He asked me to join him," Seokjin quipped. "I think it's so he can feel less embarrassed about his dancing," he stage whispered.

Jimin's features transformed into a scowl and he smacked Seokjin's arm. "Your dancing is _fine_ , your only problem is confidence." He turned to address Yoongi, his expression back to normal, even apologetic. "Ignore him, you'll see he's fine, especially when he stops thinking too much. And I'm sure you'll do fine as well."

"Oh, I don’t know," Yoongi stammered. Perhaps asking a member of staff to join him had been a big mistake, as there would undoubtedly be more of a magnifying glass on him now.

"What _I_ don't know is how you two know each other," Jimin countered, forced nonchalance in his voice, but a curious glare aimed Seokjin's way. "You've never mentioned anyone named Min Yoongi before."

"Indeed I haven't," Seokjin replied solemnly. He nodded to someone behind them. "Looks like everyone's here, shouldn't you start this class now?"

Jimin narrowed his eyes suspiciously, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, I suppose you're right." He took a deep breath. "Find somewhere with enough room to dance and," Jimin pointed at Seokjin, "we'll talk later." He then flashed Yoongi a bright smile. "I hope you enjoy this class!"

Yoongi nodded, confused and slightly scared even though Jimin had been nothing but friendly to him. He turned to Seokjin for help and received a quirk of the lips.

"He likes gossip," Seokjin told him, nudging him closer to the back, where fewer people were. "And he will definitely interrogate me later, but I won't tell him anything you don't want me to."

"Oh, I don’t care," Yoongi told him, and found that he meant it. Still, there was a tugging in his gut at the realisation that he was more comfortable with complete strangers knowing his story than his own friends. Then again, his friends would want to talk about it, and he didn't. "People can know he was an asshole, it's fine."

Seokjin laughed, the sound loud and infectious. "Alright, good to know. Jimin will be pleased."

The class was surprisingly fun. Jimin was a kind and patient teacher and although he glanced over at them often, he let them be apart from the few times he walked by to see what they were doing and give them tips. He had been right, though: neither of them were bad and as someone who loved music, dancing to it felt quite nice (it helped that Seokjin was endlessly entertaining even when they just made eye contact).

"Did the Greek Gods dance too?" Seokjin asked after a while.

Yoongi eyed him for a moment, unsure if he was serious or not, and got distracted enough that he tripped over his own feet. "Actually, yes. Probably not all, but some, and to some of them music was especially important. There were the Parnassides, or the nine muses; some of them were associated with music in some way."

"Okay, I didn’t think you'd reply that quickly," Seokjin admitted.

Yoongi shrugged, ignoring how warm Seokjin's hand was on the small of his back, the other holding Yoongi's hand with Yoongi wishing it weren't clammy and gross. "I know things."

Seokjin laughed and gave Yoongi a brief squeeze that made him tingle. "Well, that sounds ominous. I like it."

"You know," Yooni said slowly as they twirled around once more, "I have a friend back home who does dance lessons sometimes. He's amazing, extremely skilled, but he's a lot more terrifying as a teacher than Jimin is."

Of course, Jimin taught people on holiday, who really just want to have fun, which was a completely different crowd than the regulars Hoseok got to see. He was never mean (Yoongi was fairly certain there wasn't a mean bone in his body), but he hated it when people didn't take it seriously. Which was fair: why waste your own and someone else's time? Still, though, there did seem to be a difference in style.

Seokjin peeked over at Jimin, who was on the other side of the room. "Well. Jimin makes up for that by sticking his nose in my business, so everyone has their downsides," he lamented, though he sounded fond.

Once the lesson finished, Jimin called over Seokjin, who sighed and put his hands on Yoongi's shoulders.

"I'm afraid that this is where I have to leave you," he told him sadly. "My shift starts soon, so even without Jimin I wouldn't have much time. But do not despair, for we shall see each other tomorrow."

Yoongi snorted and pushed Seokjin's hands away, pretending he didn't feel much colder once the touch disappeared. "I'll text you," he promised, pretending he didn't feel a twinge of loneliness as he returned to his room.

\-------

"I'll have you know I'm an amazing chef," Seokjin said the next day, tying an apron around his waist. "Dancing, cooking, bartending - what _can't_ I do?"

Yoongi was wondering the same thing. Well, they had only just met and logically speaking, there must be something he wasn't (as) good at, but he was particularly perfect at distracting Yoongi and, considering he could get stuck in his head, that was impressive.

After dance class yesterday, he had returned to his room to freshen up before going for a quick meal. It wasn’t until he had been seated alone- with a few judging glares - that he had recalled that he was, in fact, on his own. Somehow Seokjin had managed to make him forget about his entire situation and as harsh as it seemed, it was because spending time with him was much more fun than it ever had been with his ex.

He was charming (when they had nearly twirled into another couple, they had ended up apologising to _him_ ), funny (though Yoongi didn’t dare admit his dance puns had nearly made him burst out laughing, as he felt that would only encourage him), and managed to put people - put Yoongi - at ease, like they had been friends for ages.

To be honest, he had missed Seokjin's company more than his ex's for the rest of the day.

"I'm not bad at cooking either," Yoongi replied, "it's just that I usually choose not to do it."

Seokjin arched an eyebrow. "And if you set the place on fire, it will be because you're a bit rusty, I suppose."

"The only person causing a fire would be you, since you'll be in awe of my skills," Yoongi said casually as he leaned against their shared counter. "You'll see."

"Big words, Min Yoongi, big words."

"Big and true."

"Funny, some people have said that about my-"

"Welcome, everyone!" a voice called from the front, interrupting their conversation and leaving Yoongi flustered once more, even though it hadn’t even made sense. "My name is Kang Jihyun and I will be leading this class. I hope you’re all excited!"

She explained that they would be making kimchi stew and kimchi pancakes, which Yoongi thought might not be for beginners, something he mentioned to Seokjin ("Good thing we're so experienced then," he responded with a wink, laughing when Yoongi knocked over the salt).

"Right, let's start," Jihyun said with a smile, reaching for the first ingredients.

"You told Jimin about me?" Yoongi said, absent-mindedly following Jihyun's instructions. He glanced over at Seokjin, whose ears were red and who steadfastly kept his eyes averted, and blinked. "About my ex?" he elaborated slowly.

"Oh! Yes." Seokjin laughed and searched for the correct knife. "How did you know?"

"Because I ran into him at breakfast and he gave me a hug." It had been strange. Yoongi wasn't much of a hugger to begin with and then a virtual stranger had come up to say some nice words and take him in their arms.

Seokjin winced. "Sorry about that. If you don't want him to do so, you can tell him, or I could do it for you. He won't be offended."

"I didn't mind," Yoongi admitted. Much to his surprise, he meant it: Jimin had been careful when holding him, like he mattered, and it had made him feel both warm and confused. "It was a nice hug."

"Jimin's an expert hugger," Seokjin agreed. "He doesn't usually go around hugging guests, though, don't worry."

"Pretty sure most of them would be fine with it," Yoongi said dryly.

They managed to not set anything on fire and Yoongi saved their dish from disaster when he spotted Seokjin reaching for sugar rather than salt ("You saw me knock it over earlier!" "I can't help it, I wanted the dish to be as sweet as I am."). Jihyun even complimented them on a job well done and told Yoongi his knife work was perfect.

"I'm good with my hands," he had shrugged, making her smile politely and turn away while Seokjin nearly choked on his saliva.

Seokjin nudged him suggestively. "Truly living your Dionysus life, huh? Who, by the way, you've still barely told me anything about."

Yoongi rolled his eyes. "He fucked himself on the tomb of Prosymus, who died before Dionysus could fulfil his promise of having sex with him. He's hardly my role model. Then again, I do admire a person who keeps their promise."

Seokjin opened and closed his mouth a few times, then nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose I see your point."

By the time they were done, Yoongi had explained more about Dionysus and several other kinkier myths, and Seokjin had appeared both disturbed and intrigued the entire time, like he didn't quite know if he should ask Yoongi to shut up or not.

"So Isis actually got pregnant?" Seokjin asked quietly, his face curiously disgusted.

Yoongi nodded as he turned the kimchi pancake, leaving Seokjin to deal with the stew. "Oh yes. She was dedicated."

Seokjin sighed and shook his head. "I don't think I've ever wanted to get laid quite that badly."

"Your dishes should be ready now!" Jihyun called out, clapping her hands together. "Slice the pancake, grab some bowls, and enjoy your homemade meal." She smiled at everyone and bowed to the class. "Thank you all for your attention. I hope you had fun cooking together."

Yoongi turned off the cooker and slid the pancake onto a plate, where he cut it into bite-sized pieces, while Seokjin got some bowls and chopsticks and placed them beside the pot of stew and the rice.

"We did a good job," Seokjin stated as he looked at their food. "Definitely better than those two." He nodded over at where a man was trying to scrape the stew out the pot while a woman frantically tried to save their scorched pancake.

"Maybe they were distracted," Yoongi suggested as he dished up some food for Seokjin and himself, rather proud of how good it looked.

"You told me about dildo-wielding gods and we were still fine." Seokjin took the first bite, consisting of a bit of everything, and moaned obscenely. Yoongi turned his head to make sure no one was staring and quickly shoved some food into his own mouth so he wouldn’t say anything stupid. "It would have been better if they had accepted help when Jihyun noona offered it."

That was true: Jihyun had gone around to check on people's progress and this particular couple had constantly waved her off. Clearly they could have done with her input, but there was no point dwelling on that now. And, in any case, Yoongi preferred to focus on his own meal and the company he had. He bit his lip, unsure how he could express his gratitude without feeling embarrassed.

After a few moments' hesitation, he said, hoping Seokjin could hear his 'thank you': "It's nice not to eat alone."

Seokjin paused in his chewing and watched him carefully. "I agree," he then said. "Food can be enjoyed just fine alone, but it should be by choice. I like spending time by myself, but on my terms, you know?"

Yoongi hummed to show he understood. He was a bit of an einzelgänger, though it depended on the context. If being alone wasn’t a choice, it could easily become loneliness (though it was also possible to feel lonely when you were surrounded by the wrong persons at the wrong time). "I like to drink alone, at home. Eating, however, I prefer to do with friends."

He often treated his friends to meals, sometimes fine with just sitting there while they conversed. Drinking was more of a solitary event for him, something he mainly did when he was in a contemplative or philosophical mood and people were too overwhelming.

Seokjin raised his eyebrows and chewed. "You sort of drank with me," he pointed out. "I know it wasn't the same as truly drinking with someone, but it was a far cry from being alone."

"Yeah, well…" That had been a special situation, he wanted to say. He had just been dumped and didn't really want to be alone, he wanted to say. "You're different," he said instead.

Seokjin smiled, and Yoongi’s heart sped up just a little bit.

\-------

It rained the next day. The pitter patter of the drops against the windows was pleasant, but Yoongi couldn't help but be disappointed that the outdoor event he had booked had been cancelled. The resort had offered a replacement activity indoors, but Yoongi had declined and accepted a refund instead.

"Let it go," Seokjin told him when he complained for what must have been the sixth time. "It wasn't even a particularly good activity, so please enjoy your day off. Holidays are meant to be relaxing, you don't need to constantly be on the move."

Yoongi released a noncommittal hum. Although he preferred deep connections with people and would gladly spend hours speaking with his friends, listening to their thoughts, he felt much more vulnerable around new people when he had nothing to hide behind.

He said as much, to which Seokjin nodded.

"I understand. For me, since we have only just met. Seeing how you had planned a romantic trip with your boyfriend, however…"

"We were never meant to be," Yoongi finished. He wasn't mad or even surprised at that revelation, because the two of them had never really worked. Even without the cheating (which remained disgusting and unnecessary), there had been no reason for them to stay together. The only reason Yoongi had stayed was because, until this trip, there had also been no reason not to.

"Hanging out with you is easier than it ever was with him." Because Seokjin was interested in what he had to say, was a wonderful paradox of loud and shy, and Yoongi couldn't recall the last time he had been this comfortable around someone this fast.

"Well," Seokjin huffed, the tips of his ears bright red, "I _am_ pretty amazing."

Yoongi laughed and didn't disagree.

\-------

"When you said we were going on an excursion, I didn't expect it to be Loveland."

Yoongi pulled up his shoulders like he was trying to hide. When he had booked it, he had thought it would be funny, perhaps even inspiring for a romantic getaway, but it was more awkward with a friend. And with an acquaintance- well. Even if that acquaintance was Seokjin, with whom he had discussed godly masturbation and sex toys.

"I've never been."

"To be fair, it's a popular destination," Seokjin admitted. "Still. Didn't think we'd be looking at statue sex today." He linked his arm with Yoongi's and tugged him further into the park, away from the giant golden woman pleasuring herself. They had a few hours till they had to gather here and return to the resort and Yoongi had a feeling he had no idea what he'd gotten himself into.

"Then again," Seokjin mused as they followed the penis drawing on the ground to get to the next sculpture, "I suppose it's fitting for our relationship so far."

It was both exactly what Yoongi had imagined and not at all. Perhaps it was the company, since Seokjin seemed to take it all in stride. At one point, he had talked about roses being his favourite flower, ignoring the ass statue that the rose was sticking out of. Then again, when they had reached the fingering sculpture, he had wiggled his eyebrows and asked Yoongi if this was the skill he had been referring to in cooking class.

"I've never tasted a dick like this before," Seokjin stated after taking a bite out of a penis-shaped pastry they had bought in the café. "It's a bit mushy."

Yoongi pulled a face and chewed on his own slowly, unsure he liked it. He put the remainder of it on a napkin and shook his head. "Even the cream tastes worse than I'm used to."

That got him a laugh.

"Right, hand me a boob instead. Surely that will taste better."

Yoongi, not feeling quite as confident, nudged the boob pastries over to Seokjin, who took a big bite and then pulled the most disgusted face. He put his hand over his mouth and chewed with difficulty while Yoongi tried not to laugh. Then he heaved a forlorn sigh.

"I was wrong."

They got some water to wash away the surprisingly foul taste (well, foul might be too strong a word, but it certainly wasn't good, and that was coming from Yoongi, who was no picky eater) and continued on their trek through the outdoor theme park.

When they reached a bench holding a seated statue of a woman with her breasts exposed, her head tilted to the side, Yoongi wrinkled his nose. He watched someone flop down next to it and laugh, shouting at their friends to take a picture as they planted their mouth on the statue's, the whole point of the photo op.

"That seems both unhygienic and offensive," he mumbled to Seokjin, who hummed in agreement.

"I mean, we _are_ in a sex park," Seokjin reminded him. "But I agree. Statue or not, it doesn't promote a healthy mindset, does it? And I assume it gets cleaned regularly, but I'd hate to touch that mouth. People are gross."

Yoongi nodded and quickly tugged Seokjin along when one of the group looked their way, not wanting to be mistaken for a pervert. Well, a bigger pervert than merely visiting the park suggested. They returned to the entrance, taking a few pictures on the way with statues and sculptures they didn’t touch, and with each other, because Seokjin insisted ("I'd like to post some online without risking deletion," he had explained; Yoongi hadn’t asked why Seokjin wanted to post pictures with him online and instead tried to smile for the camera).

By the time they were ushered back onto the coach that would return them to the resort, Yoongi was tired and he couldn’t suppress his yawn once they had taken their seats. It had been a surprisingly long (yet enjoyable) day, and he was ready for a nap.

Seokjin chuckled and patted his own shoulder. "Here, this might be more comfortable than the window." He raised his eyebrows and jiggled his shoulder when Yoongi stared at him. "Rest, Yoongi. I honestly don't mind, I feel quite drained too and will probably just be on my phone. It's fine."

Huh. So Seokjin understood. Some had accused him of being rude or antisocial whenever he'd get overwhelmed and preferred some quiet, especially if they didn't know him well, and he was once again grateful that he had run into Seokjin rather than anyone else. He was even offering up his giant shoulder, which could hold an entire Yoongi, and although that seemed rather intimate in view of their relationship, he decided to take him up on his offer.

"Fine, but only because it would be illegal if you didn't let me use your Atlas shoulders," he explained as he tentatively nestled into him. God, Seokjin was comfortable; this was like heaven. The window would have indeed been much worse. His own pillow was as well, but that might be the exhaustion talking.

Seokjin snorted. "As fascinating as your shoulder kink is, I think you should sleep now. I'll wake you when we're back, and we'll grab some food. That cock didn't fill me up at all."

Yoongi huffed out a laugh and half nodded, already dozing off. "I'll get you full," he promised, lightly slapping Seokjin's stomach and sitting up in a panic when he realised what he had just said. "Full of food! I meant that I'll pay!"

Seokjin simply cackled and pushed Yoongi's head back where it was, dismissing his apologies.

*******

The next morning, Yoongi's phone woke him up far earlier than intended. He didn't have any plans with Seokjin till the afternoon and after last night, he needed a lie-in. Nothing weird had happened, or, well, nothing concrete, though he was sure he hadn't imagined the occasional tension between them. Good tension. The electric, dare he say sexual, kind that you experience when you're making contact with a one-night stand or when you're finally about to kiss the person you've liked for such a long time, even though Seokjin didn't actually fall into either category.

Once they had reached the resort, Seokjin had woken Yoongi up, even helping him off the coach and keeping his hand on Yoongi's back all the way to the hotel, steadying him. They had separated there, in order to freshen up and get changed.

After a much welcomed shower where Yoongi washed off all the grime and sweat of the day, he had changed into a dark blue button-up he had left partly unbuttoned and a pair of tight black pants; Seokjin had asked him if they could meet up with some of his friends after dinner and Yoongi had wanted to make a good impression. Seokjin had been dressed similarly, though his shirt had been white and he had added a choker, which Yoongi's eyes had lingered on more than he liked to admit.

His phone rang again, making him groan and roll over. He blindly reached for his phone, wondering whether it was Seokjin, whether something had happened, whether he needed to cancel. But when he finally found his phone, he saw it was a videocall from Namjoon. Furrowing his eyebrows, he accepted the call and scrambled to sit up in bed, his eyes bleary and hair a mess.

Namjoon, on the other hand, looked good, as did Hoseok, who broke into a big smile when he spotted Yoongi and waved at him.

"Hi, you two." Yoongi yawned and shoved one of his pillows behind his back. "Everything okay?"

"Oh, we're fine," Hoseok told him. He nudged Namjoon in the side. "Our giant tree just has a few questions."

Namjoon looked at him incredulously. "You knocked on my door an hour ago because you were curious too."

Hoseok shrugged, smiling innocently, while Yoongi was only confused. It didn’t _sound_ like anything was wrong, yet he couldn’t help but be worried.

"What's up?"

"You tell us. We saw the pictures you posted last night."

Oh. Right. Yoongi had forgotten about that. So far, he had only posted some landscape shots of his trip, but yesterday, a tipsy Seokjin had whined at him to upload something more interesting, "like my face".

And, tipsy himself, he had done exactly that. A few photos from Loveland ("A true testament to our friendship!" Seokjin had told him as he uploaded them. "You either go there and grow closer, or you never speak again!"), followed by several of the noraebang they had visited with Seokjin's friends Jimin, Taehyung and Jeongguk, all good-looking and sweet, and unfairly good singers.

Seokjin's voice had mesmerised him the most, though he was keeping the video he took of him to himself. He liked to think his own cover of Epik High impressed them (Taehyung had promptly declared them to be best friends, much to Jimin's protests). He hadn’t considered, however, that his friends back home would see the pictures, lacking any Hangbin, and would understandably want answers.

"It's…" Yoongi sighed and slumped down. "It's not actually a long story, I just- I wanted to tell you when I got home."

"Uh-huh, tell us now. Why the pretty boys, where's Hangbin?"

"Hangbin…" Yoongi ran his hand down his face. It hit him that he didn't even know where Hangbin was. Was he home? Was he off with someone else? He didn’t wish him any ill, but he didn't care about him either, which probably meant something since it had only been a few days. "We broke up."

He ignored the exclamations of surprise and concern and told them everything, emphasising that he didn't want to discuss his feelings regarding the situation (he could tell Hoseok wanted to, and although Namjoon hid it better, he'd undoubtedly make him talk once he got back).

"Seokjin hyung has been kind to me," he finished. "He's- what?" He frowned at his phone screen, seeing his friends' faces. "What's going on?"

Hoseok pursed his lips and shook his head, mirth in his eyes. Namjoon released a deep sigh, though he seemed amused. "Nothing, nothing. You'll figure it out."

"It could just be holiday spectacles," Hoseok added. "Don't worry about it."

Yoongi blinked at them, wary. Better not to ask, because they wouldn't tell him anyway, and he had a feeling he wouldn't like what they had to say. "Okay…" He scratched his ear. "Well… I guess you know what's up now. Sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I'll be home in just over a week, we can talk then."

"Oh, we will," Hoseok nodded. "Maybe try to keep us updated this time?"

"I'll try," Yoongi promised, still confused but nonetheless relieved to have finally gotten this off his chest. "And… thanks."

"Don't thank us." Namjoon smiled. "Have fun. I'm… _We_ are glad you're not moping. You deserve to have a good time."

Yoongi smiled back, although he was fairly certain Namjoon was dying to delve into _why_ he was enjoying himself so much despite Hangbin's actions.

They chatted a bit more and Yoongi felt much lighter by the time he hung up; there was no more need to pretend now.

With that thought in mind, he started getting ready for his afternoon with Seokjin. Today they'd be getting a massage, which was something he was only now worrying over. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed to show some skin, though it also wasn’t his favourite thing in the world, but it was the fact that Seokjin was undeniably handsome, with a body that, so far, had appealed to him covered up. He didn't quite know what to expect from himself if he saw more.

It also worried him because… What did it say about him that he could so quickly find someone else physically attractive (even though physical attraction didn't have to mean anything) after having just lost his boyfriend? Namjoon had said it was good he wasn't moping, but wasn't that exactly what he should be doing? Asshole or not, it felt like a disservice to Hangbin and their relationship.

Before he could spiral too far, he received a text message from Seokjin, telling him he was available for lunch now if he wanted to grab something to eat before their massage. And just like that, he forgot all about his reservations and quickly texted back an affirmation. He could do this. This was fine.

*******

"I can't do this!" Seokjin shook his head and plastered himself against the side of the boat. "I refuse!"

Yoongi rolled his eyes, his lips twitching. "You said you were fine with it before."

The glare Seokjin threw his way was, in Yoongi's opinion, far more terrifying than today's activity, but then, Seokjin wasn’t on the receiving end of it.

"I thought you were joking! Who would willingly choose this devil's toy?"

"Hyung, people do it every day," Jeongguk, their parasailing instructor of the day, spoke up. "I've done it thousands of times myself."

"You're a thrillseeker, you don't count."

Jeongguk looked up to the sky before throwing up his hands and shrugging at Yoongi, as if to say he couldn’t help. "Do you want to go up alone? The view is incredible and I promise it's perfectly safe."

To be honest, parasailing was something Yoongi had always wanted to try yet had never had the opportunity or the bravery to do. He had been hoping not to have to do it alone, but he knew that if he didn't do it now, he never would.

He nodded. Jeongguk smiled at him, bunny teeth on display, and got ready to strap him in.

"Wait!"

The two of them looked over at Seokjin, who, with a long-suffering sigh, climbed to his feet and shuffled over.

"I'll join. What good is a good view if you can't compare it to me?"

Jeongguk laughed and patted him on the back. "Sure, hyung. Sit down and I'll get you two secured."

Once Jeongguk was done and had given them a few last-minute tips, he backed away so he could start the boat. Seokjin sniffed, his leg pressed to Yoongi's. "I hope you appreciate this. I'm scared of heights, but you seemed nervous and I couldn't let you go alone."

Yoongi smiled down at his lap, endeared. It was impossible to dislike Seokjin, he was one of the most selfless people Yoongi had ever met. And so far, he had managed to turn every awkward situation into the opposite - although yesterday's massage certainly posed a challenge, but they had agreed not to discuss it.

"Thank you," Yoongi mumbled when they started moving, his hands tightening around the ropes. Perhaps Seokjin had had a point and they would have been better off on land. "If it helps, I'm scared of heights too." He swallowed. "And water. I just wanted to try this at least once in my life."

He was too busy focusing on staring straight ahead - although he couldn’t take in much, he had to admit the view was indeed breathtaking - to be able to tell what Seokjin was doing in the silence that followed, but when Seokjin's hand wrapped around his own, he felt infinitely safer.

*******

"I've not done much pot," Seokjin mused as they tried to mould their clay. "What made you pick pottery anyway? It's a pretty messy hobby."

Yoongi pressed his lips together and smacked the side of the clay to loosen it up, the mug he was trying to make constantly falling apart and leaving him to start over. He refused to admit he had wanted his own Patrick Swayze moment, but in his defence, didn't everyone?

"Hey, Christian Grey."

Startled, Yoongi looked over at Seokjin, who threw a pointed look at how he was still slapping the clay. He quickly stopped and apologised.

"Don't worry, Grey's a dick, but I won't kink shame you. Smack that clay!" Seokjin did the same, though not quite as hard as Yoongi had done. "But seriously, why pottery? And if you tell me it's because of _Ghost_..." When Yoongi fell silent and placed all his attention on his mug, Seokjin sighed. "Oh dear. Well. I did say I wouldn't kink shame you, so I'll let this slide."

"I promise I won't ask you to reenact that scene."

Another sigh. "That's a shame."

Yoongi dropped his half-finished mug.

*******

"Welcome to sensual food tasting," a pretty woman named Sana said, offering them all a lovely smile that was completely at odds with the activity, "the art of feeding your lover." She picked up a piece of sushi with some chopsticks and held it up by her face.

"Have you heard of nyotaimori or nantaimori? It is the practice of eating sushi or sashimi off the naked body of either a woman - nyotaimori - or a man - nantaimori. I feel like there should be a neutral term to be more inclusive, but I haven't found one yet, I'm sorry."

"She seems nice," Yoongi whispered to Seokjin.

"She is," Seokjin confirmed. "I hope we won't need to eat off each other, though. Not very hygienic."

"That's your main problem?" Yoongi asked in disbelief.

"No need to worry!" Sana laughed and ate the sushi roll, making a sound like she was enjoying it. "We won't be going quite that far, all I ask is that you feed each other, in whichever way you want that is not R-rated. There are several dishes before you to try."

Yoongi looked around him, but no one else seemed to find it strange. Then again, why would they? They were all with their actual partners (though Yoongi didn’t think he would have felt better doing this with Hangbin).

"Feed me first, I'm hungry." Seokjin shifted to face him, appearing fully at ease. And why wouldn’t he be? This was only awkward if they made it awkward.

Not quite trusting himself to not drop the chopsticks right now, Yoongi reached for a piece of fruit (peach, by the looks of it) and held it between his fingers. He hated himself immediately, because at least the chopsticks created some distance.

"Sharing fruit can be a remarkably sensual experience," Sana said from beside them, her eyes glittering with mischief. "Why don't you bring it straight to his lips and let him take a bite?"

Yoongi took it back, she was clearly pure evil.

"Look into his eyes," Sana instructed. "Very good."

This was no longer awkward: this was mortifying. Yoongi maintained eye contact as he brought the peach to Seokjin's mouth, cursing his past self for ever signing up for this. And, you know what, he cursed Seokjin too, for he must have known exactly what this activity entailed. Parasailing was a walk in the park compared to this.

There was white noise in his head when he pressed the fruit to Seokjin's lips. His eyes dropped down to watch Seokjin bite down, his full lips stained with juice, his tongue peeking out. Yoongi's eyes flickered back up to meet Seokjin's hooded gaze as he accepted the rest of it, his lips briefly wrapping around the tips of Yoongi's fingers.

"Well done!" Sana clapped them both on the shoulder, flashed them a smile and moved on to the next pair, leaving Yoongi winded.

He quickly wiped his fingers on a napkin and cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. "Your turn."

*******

Yoongi wasn't a romantic, per se. He had fallen in and out of love before, but he didn't believe in love at first sight. Lust? Yes. Crushes? Unfortunately, also yes. Hoseok had asked him about the difference before, and Yoongi had explained that a crush, to him, is more on the shallow side, while falling in love feels like drowning. "There's much more at stake when you're in love."

Not that you couldn't eventually fall in love with a crush, because sometimes a crush was just a precursor to more.

Yoongi didn’t think he was falling in love with Seokjin, but he wasn't naive enough to deny the fact that he was crushing hard, or that, if anyone were easy to truly fall for in the end, it was him. Charming Seokjin, who was inhumanely beautiful yet approachable, and whom he had thought about more in the past ten days than his ex.

He wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of a rebound, and although he tried never to put someone in that situation, sometimes it was inevitable. This, however, didn't seem to fall in that category, since he wasn't hung up on Hangbin. If anything, as much as Yoongi hated what he had done, he felt relieved. He doubted he would have had this much fun with anyone else; he had laughed more in the past few days than he had during his entire time with Hangbin.

Seokjin had a tendency to embarrass himself for the sake of breaking the ice and acted blasé about it, only for his ears to turn red and for him to scold people for looking at him. He was unlike anyone Yoongi had met before and he wished they could remain friends even after this trip, because being around him was easy in a way Yoongi wasn't used to.

However. Then he did things like flirt with Yoongi, winking at him and going as far as to _suck on his fingers_ or casually calling him pretty. He seemed genuinely interested in what Yoongi had to say, judging by the fact that he kept asking him questions and remembered everything Yoongi told him. It was friendship with a splash of something else and Yoongi wasn't sure if Seokjin was merely friendly and potentially interested in hooking up, or if he, too, wanted to see where this could go.

On the other hand, it could just be holiday magic and outside of Jeju, they might not get along (unlikely, but he should consider all options).

Yoongi sipped his coffee on his balcony, overlooking the beauty of the water and barely able to enjoy it. He needed to discuss all this with Seokjin. True, there were only four days left of his trip and one could argue that it wasn't worth the risk of making those few days awkward, but was it fair to keep something from Seokjin when it concerned him directly? (And what if it made everything better? Holiday flings were a thing and, according to Hoseok, were incredibly fun.)

He finished up his coffee and made the decision to tell him tonight, after yoga, since Seokjin was greatly looking forward to it and Yoongi didn’t want to cause a distraction. True, he wasn't proposing marriage, but even so, he didn't want to unintentionally force Seokjin into brightening the mood when he should be relaxed.

"You seem tense."

Yoongi grunted as he went from child's pose into the cobra. "I'm not the most flexible," he mumbled, glancing over at Seokjin who moved like he had no bones.

"You moved quite fluidly in dance class," Seokjin told him, executing every movement without trouble. "I think you're more flexible than you think, but with your desk job, you're used to keeping your shoulders and back tense without even realising it. You'll have to consciously relax your muscles."

Yoongi hummed to show he had heard him and tried to relax as much as possible. It was difficult, since he'd soon be telling the most attractive person he had ever met that he, well, was attracted to him. Sure, he liked him for much more than his looks, but someone like Seokjin must have loads of people hitting on him. And Seokjin clearly liked Yoongi in some way, or they wouldn't hang out this much, but what if he thought Yoongi had had an ulterior motive the entire time?

From the cobra they went into the superman, which wasn't too bad, although Yoongi couldn't raise himself quite as well as Seokjin could. From what the other had told him, he did yoga every night before bed, as it loosened up his muscles and helped him sleep. Just as Yoongi wondered how strong his core must be, the teacher called out for them to go into the downward dog.

"The what?" Yoongi whispered. He looked around him and nearly laughed out loud at the idea of executing this pose. The person next to him had their legs and arms perfectly straight, the lines of the body flawless. A glance over at Seokjin showed much the same.

Of course, Yoongi wasn’t expected to be perfect; how could he be if this was his first time? Beforehand, Seokjin had told him time and again that all he needed to do was try, it was fine if he made any mistakes. And if trying was impossible, for example because it hurt, then he should sit it out ("I know someone with back issues who goes into child's pose whenever something aggravates their back, so don't worry").

Nonetheless, he wanted to try, but he found himself faltering quickly. "Am I doing this right?" he hissed at Seokjin. Probably not, since he felt extremely unstable, and when Seokjin glanced at him, he pressed his lips together to hide a smile.

"Here, hang on."

He dropped to his knees and shuffled over to Yoongi, careful not to disturb anyone. He placed one hand on Yoongi's back and the other on his stomach, which promptly had him collapsing on the floor.

"God, are you okay?"

Seokjin's wide, confused eyes were right in front of him, swimming with surprise and concern. And so all Yoongi could do was blurt out:

"Fuck, I'm into you."

Yoongi had his hands squeezed between his legs as he tried to make himself as small as possible. Seokjin was across from him, appearing fully at ease as he stared out at the crowds on the beach, though the redness of his ears betrayed him.

Once Yoongi had recovered from his embarrassment and Seokjin had dared look him in the eye again, the two of them had left yoga early, with Yoongi offering multiple apologies Seokjin waved off. They had gone to a small café by the sea with outdoor seating, where Seokjin had ordered some sort of lemonade for them both, claiming that the last thing Yoongi needed right now was to be under the influence of anything ("Apart from my good looks," he had stated, followed by an awkward silence).

"So…" Yoongi sighed and covered his face. Why couldn't he have been more graceful? Or at least have stuck to his planning? "I didn't mean to ruin yoga for you."

Seokjin looked at him, unimpressed. "Will you let it go already? I couldn't care less about the class anymore."

"Right." Yoongi flushed and tugged on his earlobe. "Sorry." He took a deep breath, unsure where to begin. "I haven't thought of Hangbin much, if at all, since we met."

"Wow." Now it was Seokjin's turn to blush. He chuckled and picked up his glass, clenching it between his fingers. "Okay. Straight to the point, I appreciate that. Go on."

"You're obviously very attractive," Yoongi said, sorting out his thoughts, determined to be honest. "But you're also charming and funny and you've been a great friend to me these past… well, nearly two weeks. And I know this is temporary and it might not run deep, we don't know each other well enough yet, but I do know I would really like to kiss you before I go home, and live out a cliché holiday romance with you, even though I'll be going home in four days. I understand this is weird, but I hope it doesn't make things between _us_ weird. Because whether you're interested in me or not, I'd really like to spend the rest of my trip with you, even as friends."

He stopped and coughed, shrugging his shoulders with forced nonchalance. "I wanted you to know, that's all."

Seokjin heaved a breath and placed his glass back down. "Thank god for that, I've felt terrible ever since you called me Atlas and made me want to carry you on my shoulders. I was worried I was taking advantage."

Yoongi sputtered at that. "Wait, what?"

"Look, I was happy to stay at a friendly distance," Seokjin continued, "because you're sweet and pretty and fascinating and I didn't want to swoop in on you when you had literally just broken up with your boyfriend." He raised his eyebrows. "Did you never question why I agreed to join you?"

"I-" Yoongi bit down on his lip, trying hard not to smile at the fact that his drunk, foolish self had somehow left a good impression (and that Seokjin found him _pretty_ , which was baffling and flattering and made him inexplicably giddy). "I thought you were being kind."

"Yeah, I'm all for good customer service, but I don't usually go that far," Seokjin said dryly. "And I've had propositions. Though I admit they weren't quite as innocent as yours was."

They stared at each other for a few moments until it became too much for Yoongi to bear and he looked away. Seokjin huffed out a laugh.

"So what does this mean?"

Seokjin shrugged and leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs "It means we have a holiday romance and hopefully a lasting friendship." He caught Yoongi's gaze, eyes twinkling. "And maybe, if all goes well, you can come back here next year."

Yoongi grinned, his shoulders sagging with relief. "I think I'd like that."

Thank god for Hangbin being an asshole.

*******

Unfortunately, Seokjin had had to go to work shortly after their conversation, but Yoongi had sat at the bar for a while and they had chatted some more. One thing Yoongi had soon realised was that Seokjin was a menace, and Seokjin had scolded him for being too much of a flirt ("I'm sure you've gotten worse than before").

When it had gotten too busy, Yoongi had returned to his room and they had texted a few times instead until he had fallen asleep.

Yoongi had cancelled the wine tasting that was on today's schedule and instead, they had agreed to go on a date. Which was why Yoongi was dressing up properly, with the help of Hoseok and Namjoon, who were facetiming him.

"I knew it," Hoseok said for the hundredth time, grinning widely. "The way you talked about him…"

"And how often," Namjoon added. "You look great, by the way, very hot."

"Thanks," Yoongi mumbled. He adjusted the open-knit yellow jumper he had thrown on over a black tank top, dark pants below them. The jumper was oversized and kept sliding off one of his shoulders, something Namjoon assured him was sexy. "What if it goes badly?"

"What if it goes well?"

To be honest, Yoongi knew the odds were in their favour: they had sort of gone on dates, though they hadn't known it at the time, and it had brought them closer. But there were different expectations when both parties were aware of it and he worried they would lose whatever chemistry they had.

Luckily, his fears proved unfounded. Seokjin had picked him up outside his room, wearing a black top underneath a loose, teal unbuttoned button-up, and tight black jeans, and Yoongi had even managed to compliment him after momentarily going blank. He may have also basked in the stunned look he had received when Seokjin first saw him, but that was really no one else's business.

Seokjin had been the one to plan the date, promising him a summer love like in the movies ("Does that mean clichés?" "Of course it does, Yoongi, what kind of question is that?") and he ended up taking them to the entertainment area. Noraebang was around here, but Yoongi hadn't visited this place for anything else, so he allowed himself to be surprised (and at the same time, to not be surprised at all).

"Mini golf."

"Yes, thank you for your astute observation," Seokjin said in a solemn voice, inclining his head. "Golf club," he added, handing Yoongi his.

Yoongi rolled his eyes like he wasn't amused and followed Seokjin to the golf course.

It became clear very quickly that they were both dreadful. Yoongi kept missing his and then tried to kick it instead, which made Seokjin shout in protest. Seokjin, on the other hand, kept hitting the ball in such a way that it would inevitably end up in the wrong place ("They shouldn't have water here," he protested as he fished out his golf ball from one of the canals surrounding the course for the third time).

At one point, Seokjin decided to help Yoongi ("You mean to prevent me from cheating?" "Aha! So you admit it!") by standing behind him and folding his hands over Yoongi’s so they were holding the club together.

"This is so cliché," Yoongi grumbled.

"Exactly," Seokjin whispered in his ear. He laughed when Yoongi shuddered and pressed the lightest of kisses to his lobe. When the ball subsequently entered the hole in one smooth move, they both froze.

Seokjin stepped back and pointed at him accusingly. "I'm keeping my eye on you, Min Yoongi."

Yoongi sniffed decisively. "As you should, I look good."

That startled a laugh out of Seokjin, who then dragged him along to the next course, murmuring a "well, you're not wrong".

When they eventually handed back their golf clubs, Seokjin complained that Yoongi had won unfairly, something Yoongi vehemently denied. He enjoyed it, the bickering, and he couldn't stop laughing. It truly would be ever so easy to fall in love with Kim Seokjin.

And it wasn’t over yet. Seokjin took him to an arcade, claiming that was what they did in romcoms, "and we are living in one at the moment".

It looked like any other arcade, and was just as loud as well, but Yoongi found he didn't mind it in this case. He allowed himself to be dragged over to some shooting game both of them were terrible at, and Seokjin's tips did not help in the slightest.

"If I move left, I hit the employee," Yoongi told him when he offered advice once more.

"Maybe he's there on purpose and you're meant to scare him off."

Yoongi stared at him for a moment, aimed at the intended target, despite Seokjin's protests, and missed. "I think that was enough of that," he said when Seokjin whined that he never listened to him. "You're a danger."

"Or are you a shitty shot?"

Yoongi scoffed and looked around, pointing at a crane game. "I bet I can win you something before you win me something."

Seokjin narrowed his eyes, then nodded. "You're on." He pointed at a machine filled with cat plushies, their vapid smiles greeting them. "They remind me of you. Win me one of them."

"...Should I be offended?" He grunted when Seokjin shoved him.

"Shut up, they're cute!"

Or creepy. There was one with scary button eyes and a horrifying toothy grin and Yoongi sincerely hoped it didn't actually resemble him. He promised himself he'd grab any other one, hoping desperately that it was the only one of its kind. In the world. Terrifying.

"Right, I'll win you one in less than five tries," Yoongi said, shuffling over to the machine and digging in his pockets for some coins. A dubious Seokjin leaned against the glass at Yoongi's side.

"If you do it, I'll give you a kiss," Seokjin said casually when Yoongi got started.

Yoongi smashed the buttons too soon and watched the claw grab at air. Flustered, he threw Seokjin a dirty look, receiving a smug grin in return. "I- Shut up."

He focused on the game, doing his best to ignore Seokjin winking at him from the side. "Cheater," he mumbled under his breath as he bashed the buttons once more, this time lifting one of the plushies halfway before it dropped down. It took him two more tries of pretending Seokjin didn't exist before he did it.

"Told you," he said, smirking as he bent down to take out the plushie. Although its eyes were as eerie as those of the first one he had spotted, its mouth wasn't as bad: it was more like an upside-down V, a pout, but not nightmare fuel.

"Yes, well done," Seokjin said as he accepted it gratefully, squeezing it to his chest. He dug out his phone and aimed it at himself and the plush, which he held up by his face. He smiled into the camera and took one picture, which he promptly posted online. Yoongi, who usually took at least a dozen pictures before he was satisfied, admired his bravery.

"Your turn," he said as soon as Seokjin locked his phone.

The other paused. "No kiss, then?" He shrugged. "Alright, I suppose that can wait." He held up his hands and raised his voice when Yoongi fumbled for words (how could he have forgotten? or was Seokjin merely teasing him? ...to be fair, the latter seemed a given). "No, no, I hear you. It wouldn't be fair to make you wait for your memento of the best date of your life."

"Well, I mean-"

"Best. Date. You'll see." He pointed at another machine, which held some llama and alpaca plushies. "One of them?"

Yoongi nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets as he followed behind him. To be honest, Seokjin wasn’t wrong: Yoongi was genuinely enjoying himself. Hangbin had taken him on expensive dates, but he couldn't imagine him ever going to a place like this. Most of his exes, apart from the one in high school, would have probably scoffed at the mere idea, finding arcades too silly, too childish. Which was fine, they weren't for everyone, but it was nice to be with someone with similar tastes.

Seokjin clapped his hands together and shoved the plushie - for now named Minmin - under his arm. "Right! Watch and learn, Yoongi-ssi. Watch and learn."

Then he looked around, called over to a young-looking employee, and offered them a charming smile. "Hi, Chan, could you reposition that alpaca over there?"

"Sure, hyung." The employee, Chan, grinned at them both and unlocked the machine. "Where do you want it?"

"Just dangle it over the edge."

"Wait, what?" Yoongi blinked repeatedly as he looked between Seokjin and Chan, who didn't even question it and instead did as asked, though there was an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"Have fun," Chan quipped as he locked the machine up once again, leaving the plushie to dangle precariously.

"You're cheating again."

Seokjin smiled and smacked the machine as hard as he could, causing the plushie to fall down. He crouched down to grab it and looked up at Yoongi. "I'm sorry, I didn’t realise there were rules."

By now, Yoongi knew to pick his battles, and he decided it was best to accept defeat. That didn't mean he wasn't sulking as he took the fluffy pink alpaca from Seokjin's hands. "Thanks," he mumbled, trying to hide his fond smile when he looked down at the gift. It was so very simple, but it was sweet. _Seokjin_ was sweet.

When he glanced back up, he started at how near Seokjin was, the look in his eyes tender and endeared, and Yoongi realised that, temporary or not, no one had ever quite looked at him the same way. "I-"

"I was going to take you up on the ferris wheel."

"There's a ferris wheel?"

"And ask them to stop it when we were at the top so we could have another romcom moment where we kiss, and maybe there could have been fireworks. But then…" He stepped even closer, his eyes flickering over Yoongi’s face. "Then I figured, since we're both scared of heights, that wouldn't be the best idea. And fireworks might only make it worse."

Yoongi huffed out a laugh. His nerves were picking up, but they were the good kind. The nerves you get when you graduate, when you're on a rollercoaster that's about to start its descent, when you're about to propose.

When you're about to share your first kiss with someone who makes fireworks explode inside of you.

"I'd really like to kiss you now."

Yoongi nodded quickly, and then Seokjin's hand was on his cheek, his soft, soft lips pressing against his own. Yoongi's eyes slid shut, all his attention on the kiss and on Seokjin, how he felt and touched and sounded, and god, he was an amazing kisser, sweet and passionate and knowing when to deepen and when to soften the kiss.

Sudden loud laughter made them break apart, little puffs of air hitting Yoongi's lips when Seokjin barely pulled back. A group of teens, oblivious to what they had just interrupted, walked past, leaving the two of them in a tense yet not uncomfortable silence.

Yoongi gazed up at Seokjin through his eyelashes and licked his lips. He normally wasn't the most impulsive person, thought things through carefully, but right now, he wanted to throw all that out the window. There was no time to go slow, it was do or don't, and if they didn't do this now, it might never happen. "Want to come back to my room?"

Seokjin blinked slowly, intrigue clear in his eyes. "You know, I had an entire evening planned for us. But as long as you're sure…"

"I am."

"Then lead the way, Min Yoongi. Love me like one of your Greek gods."

"Actually, you don't want that, they-"

"Don't ruin this for me."

Yoongi grinned and shook his head, reaching for Seokjin's hand. "Alright, alright. You can be my Atlas tonight." Yoongi led a pleased Seokjin back to the hotel, hoping the pounding of his heart wasn't audible.

(The pink in his cheeks, however, was more than obvious.)

*******

During painting class the next day, Yoongi found himself constantly distracted by Seokjin, who was pressed up against him and making painting nearly impossible. He couldn't say he minded, though he nonetheless kept adding blue paint to his canvas.

Taehyung, the teacher, had wiggled his eyebrows at them as soon as they had entered the room.

"He's very observant," Seokjin had muttered in Yoongi's ear. Unnerving, but Taehyung had also appeared genuinely happy for them, which had been both overwhelming and wonderful.

"I like it."

Yoongi jumped at Taehyung's voice and looked at him over his shoulder. "I'm not great with this kind of art," he admitted. "So I'm just… trying colours." He stared at the canvas, which was mostly covered with shades of blue. He wanted to add more, but wasn't sure what yet. Either way, Taehyung seemed impressed for some reason.

"Blue means calm. I'm happy for you."

He tapped Yoongi on the shoulder, nodded over at Seokjin, whose canvas was mostly bare since he had been too busy flirting with Yoongi, and left them to it.

"Why is he happy for me?" Yoongi asked under his breath, glancing over at Seokjin, who was now adding more to his painting.

"Because despite how your trip began, you seem at peace right now. That's all anyone wants."

Yoongi hummed, pausing his work. They had a point. He felt far more relaxed, and if he had thought he was at ease around Seokjin before, last night had given him the opportunity to let go, release some of the tension that had been building between them.

Sex wasn't everything, but the intimacy had been exactly what he had needed. There had been no guilt afterwards, no regret, no second thoughts of any kind. Seokjin had made him feel special and wanted and beautiful, and rather than being sad that this would all be over soon, he could only be happy that he was able to experience this at all. The entire thing, the full trip, Seokjin in general, and the other people he had met.

And, well, sleeping and waking up next to someone else had helped him rest better than he had in a long time.

"We're still on for the rest of our date after this, right?" Seokjin whispered.

"Oh yeah, I want to see what you had planned." He looked around to ensure no one was listening in. "Any chance we can finish again in my room?"

Seokjin hummed and added some red to his painting. "What about in mine? I live nearby."

"That- yeah." Seeing where Seokjin lived, learning more about him? In a way, Seokjin was still elusive to him, and being in someone's home tended to be a great way to learn more about them. Even an empty home could be a great indicator of someone's personality, but Yoongi had a feeling Seokjin's wouldn't look like that. "Yeah, sounds good."

*******

It was Yoongi's last full day and he had been up since before six. "Let's go fishing," Seokjin had said right when Yoongi had been nodding off and willing to agree with anything Seokjin suggested. Very sneaky and unfair.

It had been fun, though, quite a soothing experience, although they hadn't caught much. At one point Seokjin had nearly fallen overboard and Yoongi had graciously not laughed at him, which he had called the epitome of being a gentleman. (He had taken it back when Yoongi had proceeded to share the anecdote with Seokjin's friends.)

Yoongi hadn’t spent an awful lot of time with Jimin, Taehyung and Jeongguk, yet they had insisted they all get together and recreate their night from last week, "except we're _all_ friends now!" He didn't think he had left much of an impression, but Seokjin must have spoken about him enough that it didn't matter.

Jeongguk expressed his admiration for Yoongi being a daredevil like himself and Yoongi didn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise. Taehyung, meanwhile, revealed that since Yoongi couldn't take his painting home with him - the finished product had ended up too large for his luggage - he planned to keep it himself, waving off all protests (though he did check with Yoongi, of course, offering to ship it to him, which he declined; it was flattering that Taehyung wanted to keep it).

Jimin drank a little too much and got emotional comparing the two of them at the start to the two of them at the end of Yoongi's trip, as though they had gone through an intense journey together (well, that wasn't too far off, Yoongi supposed).

Though he was tired, Yoongi had to admit he appreciated his last day here being a full one. It meant he didn't have to miss out on anything and he was grateful to Seokjin because of it. Everything had moved so fast, and had they met anywhere else, he would have had many more doubts. As it was, it was all kind of perfect. Which was why, when it was his turn to sing in noraebang, he belted out his very own, special rendition of "I've Had the Time of My Life", which had Seokjin join in easily while Jeongguk laughingly cringed, Jimin groaned and recorded them, and Taehyung enthusiastically sang along, waving his arms in the air.

The only thing that could have made it better was if Hoseok and Namjoon were here too. But, as he caught Seokjin's sparkling eyes, he thought he might bring them next time.

*******

Yoongi unlocked the door to his home and kicked off his shoes once he had stepped inside. After the liveliness of the resort, the loud goodbyes from his new friends and the chaotic flight back to Seoul, his flat felt too empty. Which wasn't something he often thought, as he enjoyed the quiet, but… perhaps two weeks hadn't been enough. It was a feeling similar to when you leave a concert or a party, your ears still ringing, adrenaline coursing through your veins, and then you step into the silence. That odd, sudden feeling where nothing feels real or familiar, because it's _too_ familiar.

He dropped his luggage by the coffee table, the thought of sorting through it right now far too daunting. There was, however, one thing he needed: the alpaca plushie, which Seokjin had insisted he'd keep in his hand luggage.

"What if you lose it, Yoongi? How could you ever forgive yourself? _I_ wouldn't."

Yoongi smiled at the memory. He placed the plushie on the shelf by his TV and stared at it for a few moments. A physical reminder of Seokjin and Jeju in his home. It immediately felt a little less empty (a little less lonely).

Tonight, he would be visiting Namjoon’s place, where he'd tell him and Hoseok everything. Until then, he needed a shower and a nap. But before doing any of that, he slid his phone from his pocket and snapped a picture of the plushie to send to Seokjin.

_he looks right at home_

The reply was instantaneous:

_because he is_

_btw, i miss your face_

_call me?_

Yoongi chuckled and pressed the videocall button.

"Hey."

Seokjin grinned at him through the camera, handsome as ever, Minmin in his arms. "Took you long enough."

**Author's Note:**

> When they finally meet again, Jin will pick Yoongi up saying something like: "I'm like Atlas, remember? I'm holding my world on my shoulders." Yoongi will flush bright red and remind him Atlas carried the skies so Jin calls him an angel instead. Then Jin kisses him because Yoongi is embarrassed and won't shut up, and Namjoon and Hoseok regret ever coming along on this trip.


End file.
